Parking garage with increased capacity

ABSTRACT

A garage has increased parking capacity for vehicles. A parking level has water filling the parking structure so that boats or floating platforms may fill the parking level. The only passageway needed is that which will accommodate the boats or platforms. Vehicles entering the garage are driven onto an endless belt and this belt drives the vehicle onto a platform having another endless belt. When exiting the vehicle&#39;s belt drives it off the platform to an exit area. Multiple levels accommodate even larger capacity garages. A computer can control entry, exit, and movement of the platforms to random locations and/or to elevators in multiple level garages.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Airports and downtown areas have multiple parking levels becauseland is scarce and expensive.

[0002] As the population increases in already crowded areas the placesallocated for parking facilities decrease. This growth in population isin conflict with the need to set aside areas for parking.

[0003] Solutions include stacking cars or vehicles one above the otheron platforms, the use of satellite parking areas near major airports.

[0004] Such solutions tend to be expensive and parking levels and offsite parking areas still have unused space for driving vehicles into andout of parking spaces.

[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,305 uses platforms floatable in liquid. Eachof the platforms has guides and the platforms are guided along supportstructures.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The object of the invention is to provide for increased parkingspace compared to conventional garages. To this end floatable platformscarry cars that are randomly placed within a liquid filled structure.Since the parking levels use floating boats or platforms considerablyless space is needed than in conventional garages. This is becauseconventional garages need a path to drive a car and a large enough areafor a car to turn around both for parking and exiting. In some garagesthe drive path needs to be wide enough to accommodate at least two carwidths. In some garages the drive path may take up half of the totalfloor space area. In contrast this invention needs no driving pathexcept the one used in entering the garage which is minuscule.

SPECIFICATION FOR PARKING GARAGE WITH INCREASED CAPACITY

[0007] The object of the invention is to provide an automated parkingfacility. A car approaches an entrance area and stops on an endlessbelt. A computer driven system takes over when the driver obtains a cardfrom a gated entryway. When the driver pushes a button or the like acomputer initiates action. The computer records the date and time of dayfrom which fees will be determined and dispenses a card to the driver,which identifies the car.

[0008] The computer keeps track of available parking slots, such aswhich platforms are empty and not in use. The computer will then causethe endless belt on which the car is parked to move the car onto anotherendless belt to be forwarded to en elevator if necessary.

[0009] The parking facility or garage has elevators that take thevehicles up to a parking level and down to the ground level. Theelevator will take the car to an appropriate level as determined by thecomputer and move it onto a floating platform. When the driver returnsto retrieve the car the card is placed into a card reader whichinitiates the delivery of the car. The driver pays the fee and can getinto the car and drive off.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a top view of a ground level parking facility;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a side view of an automated garage system:

[0012]FIG. 3 shows a car on a floating boat or platform; and

[0013]FIG. 4 shows a floor plan of a typical parking level.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014]FIG. 1 is a top view of the ground parking level at a parkingfacility. Cars 101, 102 are at entrances 10, 12 and positioned onendless belts 103, 104 having entry gates 105, 106. The driver will getout of the car, for example 101 and go to entry gate 105, which willdispense a card to the driver. The cards are encoded with the date, timeand other suitable indicia to identify the vehicle. The driver takes thedispensed card, leaving behind the car, which is braked and in a parkposition. This completes the driver's activities.

[0015] The dispensing of the card may initiate the motion of the endlessbelt associated with the card dispenser. By way of example endless belt103 will move car 101 onto the first of a series of endless belts 103 ato 103 h. Numerals 101 a to 101 c represent cars that are queued,awaiting belt delivery to UP elevator 107, while car 101 d is onelevator 107 being taken to a suitable parking level. It is a feature ofthe present invention that cars, or other vehicles, may be left by thedriver at an entrance and leave the premises while the automated natureof the parking facility moves and parks the car, all without the driverwaiting for it to be parked. Thus if there is a busy time the driverneed not wait for the cars 101 a-101 d to be parked; car 101 will bemoved onto endless belt 103 a.

[0016] Suitable sensors and controls will automatically move car 101behind 101 a. After car 101 d has been delivered to an appropriateparking level, the elevator returns to the ground level and car 101 c ismoved onto the UP elevator 107, and the queue is moved forward oneendless belt at a time.

[0017] DOWN elevators 110, 112 will go to a parking level when calledfor and a car will be moved onto the endless belt associated with theDOWN elevator. By way of example, car 115 is on DOWN elevator 111 whilecar 116 is leaving DOWN elevator 112 on a series of endless belts 120 ato 120 c. At an appropriate exit location the driver pays the fee,enters his car, and drives off. The exit area may have another gatereceptive to the payment of the fee to raise a gate and permit exitingof the facility.

[0018] The number of entrances and exits is the subject of choice anddesign. Clearly, different locations will require more or less entrancesand exits that other locations. The location of the UP and DOWNelevators is also subject to design and choice. A location such as shownin FIG. 1 for the UP elevators affords a longer queue line. The DOWNelevators are shown as more or less centrally located to afford lesstime to retrieve a car at a level as will be seen.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a side view of an automated garage system having aplurality of parking levels although only one level may be neededdepending on the actual site and the number of vehicles to be handled.Six levels 21 - 26 are shown with car 201 at an entrance, cars 201 a-201c queued, and car 201 d on UP elevator 207.

[0020] UP elevator 207 takes the vehicle to one of the levels where itis moved onto a transporting device such as a floating platform. Theplatform may be moved to any open area on that level.

[0021] It is possible to have only a single level if the amount ofexpected traffic can be handled by a single level. Then no elevators areneeded and the cars are moved directly onto a platform. Even with asingle level considerable space is saved compared to conventionalgarages.

[0022]FIG. 3 shows vehicle 30 on a boat or platform 31 floating onliquid 32 such as water. Endless belt 33 is used to move the vehicleonto boat 31 from the ground level, where no elevating mechanism isused, or from an elevator where an elevating mechanism is used. Ineither event the vehicle may now be moved to any location on theselected parking level. An upstanding pole 34 at the end of platform 31has a locator beacon 35 and extends upwardly to a suitable source ofpower 36 below ceiling. A motor 37 derives power from the source anddrives ajet water stream exiting from nozzle 38 by which the boat may berotated through 360 degrees if necessary and moved along the liquid toany parking space.

[0023] The power source 36 extends along the length and width of theceiling so that a boat with its upstanding pole is always at a source ofpower no matter where the boat is located. Since the boat encounterslittle friction with water the motor 37 may be small sized since littlepower is required to move the boat 31 along a liquid. Water is thepreferred liquid although other liquids may be used.

[0024] The locator beacon 35 operates as a receiver for commands sentfrom a computer driven card reader. When the vehicle is to be retrievedthe card is inserted into a card reader which immediately calculates anappropriate fee and sends a signal identifying that particular vehicle.The locator beacon receives this signal and the boat or platform will bedriven by action of the motor and jet stream to a DOWN elevator stationfrom where the vehicle is taken to the ground level and can then exitfrom the garage upon payment of the fee. Obviously if there are nolevels at the parking facility or the vehicle is on a parking levelalready at ground level no elevator comes into action.

[0025]FIG. 4 shows the floor plan of a typical parking level. Dependingon the site there may be a need for multiple elevators. Numerals 40, 41represent two UP elevators and numerals 42, 43 represent DOWN elevators.Numerals 45 a-45 f represent boats with vehicles on them. Numerals 46a-46 d represent empty boats. The number of boats needed will depend onthe area of the associated parking level.

[0026] A newly arrived vehicle is shown on a transporting device such asboat 45 d just exiting the UP elevator 41, while 45 d represents avehicle on its way to some parking level. Numeral 45 c is a boat with avehicle on it and is approaching DOWN elevator 42 while a vehicle isseen at DOWN elevator 43 on its way to the ground station.

[0027] Boats 45 a, 45 f, 46 a and 46 d are floating randomly waiting asignal and this is representative of an important feature of the presentinvention. Some parking garages require the active participation of aparking attendant, or perhaps even the driver. The present inventioneliminates this need. Further, an open parking space must be found.Typically a driver will drive several floors up and go back down againbecause the garage is near full capacity. A great deal of time is spentlooking for parking spaces leading to frustration. With the presentinvention no such wasted time exists. The driver leaves his car at theentrance and never needs to hunt for a parking space. The automatednature of the invention means that a computer can determine where theempty boats are, that is, those boats without tiny car or vehicle onthem. The computer may fill one level at a time and then go on fillingthe next level. The queuing is done by the endless belts and not by thedriver or parking attendant.

1. A parking garage comprising: at least one structure filled withliquid; a plurality of transporting devices that float on said liquid; asource of power; said transporting devices each connected to said sourceof power and each having a mechanism for moving said transportingdevices along said liquid; said structure having at least one entry andat least one exit for vehicles; said one entry having a first movingmechanism for moving vehicles; said one exit having a second movingmechanism for moving vehicles; whereby a vehicle may be moved from saidat least one entry by said first moving mechanism onto one of saidplurality of transporting devices, and whereby a vehicle may be movedfrom one of said plurality of transporting devices onto said secondmoving mechanism to said at least one exit.
 2. One parking garage ofclaim 1 wherein said transporting device has an endless belt thereon. 3.The parking garage of claim 1 wherein said first moving mechanism andsaid second moving mechanism are endless belts.
 4. The parking garage ofclaim 2 wherein said first moving mechanism and said second movingmechanism are endless belts.
 5. A parking garage having a plurality oflevels comprising: each of said plurality of levels filled with liquid;each of said plurality of levels having a plurality of transportingdevices that float on said liquid, a source of power, said transportingdevices each connected to said source of power, and each having amechanism for moving said transporting devices along said liquid; afirst level of said plurality of levels having at least one entry and atleast one exit for vehicles, said one entry having a first movingmechanism for moving vehicles, said one exit having a second movingmechanism for moving vehicles; whereby a vehicle may be moved from saidat least one entry by said first moving mechanism onto one of saidplurality of transporting devices; and whereby a vehicle may be movedfrom one said plurality of transporting devices onto said second movingmechanism to said at least one exit; at least one elevator fortransporting vehicles from said first level to another selected level;and at least another elevator for transporting vehicles from any levelto said first level.
 6. The parking garage of claim 5 wherein saidtransporting device has an endless belt thereon.
 7. The parking garageof claim 5 wherein said first moving mechanism and said second movingmechanism are endless belts.
 8. The parking garage of claim 6 whereinsaid first moving mechanism and said second moving mechanism are endlessbelts.